If you have faith as small as a mustard seed…nothing will be impossible for you! – Matthew 17:20

By Oral Roberts•3 Minutes source

A Mustard Flavored Kingdom

Throughout the age of the Old Testament and into the time of Jesus it was a common metaphor to speak of a kingdom as a tree. We see this in scriptures such as Ezekiel 17:22-24, 31:6 Daniel 4:10-12 which use a picture of a tree to describe a nation or a kingdom. The Commentary on the New Testament Use of The Old Testament (USA CANADA) talks about how “Mark 4:30-32 is an ironic fulfillment of Ezekiel 17:23 the lowly annual shrub rather than a might cedar, lamb not a lion maybe. The people expected a mighty cedar, but God came as a lowly shrub which would be exalted over all else.”

The lost message of the Kingdom of God hidden here in the parable of the mustard seed, Jesus the great shrub has come to rule the world. Not a mighty cedar or acacia, or mulberry the humble mustard shrub despite its size and appearance had sprouted and would rule over all. Jesus didn’t come as a superpowered reincarnation of King David, He came as the suffering servant and laid hold of a greater kingdom then anyone of that time ever imagined.

The people and religious leaders were looking for a cedar but got a shrub, so they rejected Him. They were looking for a warrior but got a shepherd, so they persecuted Him. They were looking for an angel of death but got the forgiving Son of God, so they killed Him.

They forgot about Isaiah 11:1 and Jeremiah 23:5-6 where God spoke about a humble branch which was coming to rule and exercise judgment on the people. Jesus executed judgment on sin, He rules over His covenant people and one day He will judge those who rejected His Kingship.

We can’t have the benefits of mustard seed faith until we bow down before the mustard tree of Christ. None of what we claim to believe matters at all if Jesus isn’t the King of not just the universe but our individual lives. Our faith doesn’t matter, the miracles we see doesn’t matter the lives we see changed doesn’t matter if Jesus isn’t our King and if we don’t act as grateful adopted servants.

Finding a Nest in His Branches

The last part of the parable has Jesus speaking about the birds of the air making nests in the branches of the fully-grown mustard tree. We take this statement for granted and don’t realize that to the disciples this was ridiculous. You see because the mustard tree regrows every year it can’t be developed enough to be ready for the time when birds make their nests. If one tried the branches would be too small or tender to support just a bird on it let alone a nest.

Here Jesus is again speaking in irony, just as the lowly shrub is King of the forest, so to is this tree which couldn’t before support dwelling places for the birds now be able to provide shelter and covering for them (Daniel 4:12).

We see then that Jesus has come to bring us a covering for our lives and that it is a foundational part of our faith. That covering of grace and atonement is our constant reminder that we can trust Him and remain committed to Him despite the problems of the world. Ezekiel used this same picture of birds finding rest in a tree to describe Egypt in Ezekiel 31:6, so how much grander and wonderous should that covering and shelter be for us who follow Christ our King.

Through faith we are able to go from mustard seeds to mustard trees and see great and mighty things happen in our lives. But we are only able to see such a transformation because Jesus the first seed which fell into the ground then died and came back as a King who has brought us under His covering of atonement. Now as redeemed, adopted servants we go out into the world and deposit new seeds into the ground so the whole world can be covered by the offspring of the great mustard tree.

Question: What can you do today to recognize Jesus as the King of your life?

We as humans should consitantly evaluate our journey with God and how prayers, work and faith when combined as a whole yield solid healthy happy peaceful fruit.

Faith That Transforms A Mustard Seed Into A Mustard Tree Cameron Conway is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Planting the Seed of the Gospel

You probably know of a family in need of an intervention by God. And so you’ve been praying for them. Don’t stop. Prayer works. But there is another step that you need to take in order to see that family transformed by God’s power.

Acts 16:30-14 shows us what that step is. In this passage Paul and Silas had been flogged and imprisoned for the sake of the Gospel. But at midnight, as they sang praises unto God, there was an earthquake, and the door of each prison cell was opened. But a miracle happened. Although the cell doors were opened none of the prisoners were able to escape. This led the jailer to ask the following question:

Sirs, what must I do to be saved? ³¹ They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved, along with everyone in your household. ³² And they shared the word of the Lord with him and with all who lived in his household.³³ Even at that hour of the night, the jailer cared for them and washed their wounds. Then he and everyone in his household were immediately baptized.³⁴ He brought them into his house and set a meal before them, and he and his entire household rejoiced because they all believed in God. (NLT)

Notice the following:

1. Gospel: In verse 32 Paul and Silas share the good news about Jesus with the jailer and his family.

2. Faith: In verse 31 the jailer is told to believe in the Lord and in verse 33 the jailer and his household express their faith in Jesus by getting baptized in water.

3. Rejoicing: In verse 34 the jailer and his household rejoice because they all have believed in God.

Prayer for a family in need of God’s intervention is necessary. But prayer must be accompanied with step 2, the proclamation of the good news of Jesus.

God has made it so that salvation, transformation and new life can only come about through the sharing of the gospel. In Mark 4:14 Jesus compares the sharing of the gospel message to that of planting seed. It says, The farmer plants seed by taking God’s word to others. (NLT). And Jesus said in Mark 4:20, And the seed that fell on good soil represents those who hear and accept God’s word and produce a harvest of thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times as much as had been planted! (NLT) The gospel message must be planted in people’s hearts before it can germinate and bring about the fruit of salvation. But it can only be planted by people hearing it.

Paul puts it this way in Romans 10:14: How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? (ESV)

So continue praying for that family that needs an intervention from God. But also share the good news of Jesus with them. God wants families everywhere to experience the joy that comes from salvation. But for that to happen we must pray and proclaim.

By Pastor John

https://youtu.be/5OoKN3T73WA?si=-mYTTC93MhtC-_WN

A SCIENTIFIC STUDY REVEALS WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENS WHEN YOU READ THE BIBLE

You always hear people say that it’s important to read the Bible. But do you know why? A scientific study reveals the answer.

What Happens When You Read The Bible

Makayla Andrus shared the impact of reading the Bible 4 times a week.

“I recently heard of a scientific study of what actually happens to you when you read the Bible. The study was done on people ages 8 to 80.On days one and two, there wasn’t much of a difference but on day three, they started noticing a change. Here are the stats of what actually happened when the people read the Bible four times a week or more,” she said.

“Loneliness went down 30%.
Bitterness went down 43%.
Anger went down 32%.
Alcoholism went down 42%.
And watching pornography went down 60%.”

Testimony

One of the many testimonies shared prove that the word of God is alive. It changes hearts and minds, and transforms from within.

Jerry Devoe loved committing crimes because of the sense of power it gave him. He got involved in different crimes because he loved victimizing people. The criminal lifestyle became his identity for more than 25 years. Until one day, he read a Bible inside the jail out of boredom and curiosity.

“What is this Jesus have for me?” he said back then.

Jerry tried to change, but he struggled to break his felonious behaviors. However, Jerry started to feel guilt and shame whenever he committed them. So, he turned to the Bible to find hope.

“Lord, if You’re real, if You have a will for my life, help me to understand it,” he prayed.

Then finally, at 42 years old, Jerry gave his life to Jesus and left the life of crime.

Verses To Inspire You To Read The Bible

To help you better, here are few verses that will inspire you to read the Bible:

“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (Psalm 119:105).

“Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth” (John 17:17).

“The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever” (Isaiah 40:8).

“All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:16).

“For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12). source

Bible Benefits According To Scientific Research

In this episode of More To The Story, Lucas Kitchen digs into some scientific research on the benefits of Bible engagement, prayer, and church attendance. You’ll be encouraged by the results. He also looks at 2 Timothy 3:16-17 which predates the research by thousands of years, but agrees with its findings.

Today we’re going to talk about some scientific research concerning Bible reading, and other spiritual practices, right after this.

Do you read you’re Bible? A study conducted a few years ago suggests you should. At least four times a week is the prescribed amount suggested. Let’s see how Bible reading and study might make a difference in your life in a segment I’m calling, Bible Benefits.

BIBLE BENEFITS

I don’t know if you’ve heard this or not, but I often have heard people say Christians are the biggest hypocrites of all. They claim Jesus but there’s no difference in their lives. Some recent research from CBE challenges that statement. Here’s how.

Not long ago CBE released some research that helps us understand the effects of Bible engagement and other spiritual habits on modern people. They divided their respondents into groups according to how often they attend church, and if they pray daily, and the amount they engaged with their Bible. Bible engagement includes listening to Bible based sermons, audio versions of the Bible, or just going old school and reading it.

They wanted to see if there is any measurable difference in the lives of people who interact with Scripture and take part in these other practices. They identified a few destructive habits that could be measured. Among them were Getting drunk, non-marital sex, gambling, pornography, and destructive thoughts. In the church world we call those risk activities, sins. The research wanted to find out if any of the habits were reduced in correlation to Bible engagement, prayer, and church attendance.

SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINES CHART

I have a graph here. If you’re listening on podcast you can see the graph by going to freegrace.in/Biblebenefits all one word. but I’ll give you the run down. The graph shows that there is a consistent drop in these destructive habits for those who engage with the Bible, pray, and attend church.

On average someone who attends church at least once per month looks to be ten to fifteen percent less likely to be involved in these destructive habits over those who don’t go.

Prayer plays a role too. It seems like prayer has the greatest effect on drunkeness, non-marital sex, and especially pornography, with nearly a 20 percent decline in those sins if someone prays at least once per day.

The final column on the chart breaks down different levels of Bible engagement and the affects they have. It seems that getting drunk, non-marital sex, and pornography have the sharpest decline for those who engage with Scripture four or more times a week.

Some overall findings show If a person engages with the Bible at least four times a week they’re 228% more likely to share their faith, 59% less likely to view porn, 30% less likely to struggle with loneliness.

It’s really pretty incredible. I love research. This is what church leadership has been telling us for 2000 years, but now research methods make it possible to corroborate those claims.

So are Christians the biggest hypocrites. Well, it depends on what you mean by Christian. It turns out that there are many self-identified Christians in the study, but being a Christian doesn’t mean that people were automatically different. For instance, if someone engages with their Bible only one time a week or less, they are statistically indistinguishable from non-Christians in terms of sin reduction. They have the same level of those destructive habits, and sins as non-believers.

So Christians who don’t take part in Christian activities might be struggling with hypocrisy, but there’s no doubt that Christians who engage with scripture, attend church, and pray regularly are different. Regular Bible engagement correlate to less risk activities.

CORRELATION ISN’T CAUSATION

Now, we should note, that correlation doesn’t always mean causation. That means that sometimes in data sets we notice that two criteria are correlated. Sometimes there are false correlations. I saw some great examples of this recently.

If you chart the number of people who drowned in a pool per year next to the amount of films Nicolas Cage appeared in each year from 99’ – 09’ the graph lines look very similar. Is there a correlation between pool drownings and Nick Cage movies? Uh… maybe, I mean I could see there being… but no… probably not. I’ve included a link to a bunch of hilarious false correlations done by Tyler Vigen.

So there you have a false correlation. However, when you have aspects that are interconnected and adjusting the amount of one affects the amount of another, we call that correlation. It’s a mutual relationship between two things. For instance, research has shown there is a correlation between poverty and property crime. That’s a provable correlation. However, is it crime that causes poverty, or is it poverty that causes crime? Or is it another factor outside these that interacts with both? It can be difficult to tell. So, that’s why we say correlation isn’t the same things as causation. Just because we recognize a correlation doesn’t mean we know exactly why it’s happening. It can be an interplay multiple factors.

WIth Bible reading I suspect that the correlation is not just affected by this habit, but by other factors. If you engage with the Bible, you’re more likely to pray. If you’re open to the Bible and prayer, then you’re more likely to find yourself fellowshipping with other’s who do the same, and those types of people often value lower levels of destructive habits and sin. It’s very hard to disentangle which of these is the “cause” if there is even a single cause.

The thing is, it might not matter. As an example, There’s a highway near my house. You can get on the high way in Dallas, or you can get on it in Hawkins, TX, or many other places, but however you get on, you’re on the highway and you’re going somewhere.

Salvation is like the ignition of your car. It’s a one time event that takes place the moment you believe in Jesus for eternal life. But after that point…

Discipleship is a highway, and you can get on it by Bible engagement, or you can get on it by fellowship. You can get on it by prayer. When you do, though, it’s going to take you places. Which ever one of those spiritual activities that brought you to the highway will inevitably lead to others. Before long you’re passing the onramp for the others as well. Discipleship is movement. It will change you.

This study shows, however, that there are lots of people who have believed in Jesus, but they aren’t taking advantage of the amazing benefits of Bible engagement, prayer, and church attendance.

INSPIRED BY GOD

I had an idea of a different verse I wanted to share with you today on this topic, but once again the verse of the day that popped up on Biblegateway just fit too well. It says:

All Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work. 2 Timothy 3:16-17

Do you want to have a life marked by good work? Do you want to have a great life. Bible engagement, prayer, and church attendance is part of a balanced fulfilling life. I hope you’ll take advantage of these incredible tools Our Lord Jesus gave us.  source

source

Why should we read the Bible / study the Bible?

We should read and study the Bible because it is God’s Word to us. The Bible is literally “God-breathed” (2 Timothy 3:16). In other words, it is God’s very words to us. There are so many questions that philosophers have asked that God answers for us in Scripture. What is the purpose to life? Where did I come from? Is there life after death? How do I get to heaven? Why is the world full of evil? Why do I struggle to do good? In addition to these “big” questions, the Bible gives much practical advice in areas such as: What do I look for in a mate? How can I have a successful marriage? How can I be a good friend? How can I be a good parent? What is success and how do I achieve it? How can I change? What really matters in life? How can I live so that I do not look back with regret? How can I handle the unfair circumstances and bad events of life victoriously?

We should read and study the Bible because it is totally reliable and without error. The Bible is unique among so-called “holy” books in that it does not merely give moral teaching and say, “Trust me.” Rather, we have the ability to test it by checking the hundreds of detailed prophecies that it makes, by checking the historical accounts it records, and by checking the scientific facts it relates. Those who say the Bible has errors have their ears closed to the truth. Jesus once asked which is easier to say, “Your sins are forgiven you,” or “Rise, take up your bed and walk.” Then He proved He had the ability to forgive sins (something we cannot see with our eyes) by healing the paralytic (something those around Him could test with their eyes). Similarly, we are given assurance that God’s Word is true when it discusses spiritual areas that we cannot test with our senses by showing itself true in those areas that we can test, such as historical accuracy, scientific accuracy, and prophetic accuracy.

We should read and study the Bible because God does not change and because mankind’s nature does not change; it is as relevant for us as it was when it was written. While technology changes, mankind’s nature and desires do not change. We find, as we read the pages of biblical history, that whether we are talking about one-on-one relationships or societies, “there is nothing new under the sun” (Ecclesiastes 1:9). And while mankind as a whole continues to seek love and satisfaction in all of the wrong places, God—our good and gracious Creator—tells us what will bring us lasting joy. His revealed Word, the Bible, is so important that Jesus said of it, “Man does not live on bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4). In other words, if we want to live life to the fullest, as God intended, we must listen to and heed God’s written Word.

We should read and study the Bible because there is so much false teaching. The Bible gives us the measuring stick by which we can distinguish truth from error. It tells us what God is like. To have a wrong impression of God is to worship an idol or false god. We are worshiping something that He is not. The Bible tells us how one truly gets to heaven, and it is not by being good or by being baptized or by anything else we do (John 14:6; Ephesians 2:1-10; Isaiah 53:6; Romans 3:10-18, 5:8, 6:23, 10:9-13). Along this line, God’s Word shows us just how much God loves us (Romans 5:6-8; John 3:16). And it is in learning this that we are drawn to love Him in return (1 John 4:19).

The Bible equips us to serve God (2 Timothy 3:17; Ephesians 6:17; Hebrews 4:12). It helps us know how to be saved from our sin and its ultimate consequence (2 Timothy 3:15). Meditating on God’s Word and obeying its teachings will bring success in life (Joshua 1:8; James 1:25). God’s Word helps us see sin in our lives and helps us get rid of it (Psalm 119:9, 11). It gives us guidance in life, making us wiser than our teachers (Psalm 32:8, 119:99; Proverbs 1:6). The Bible keeps us from wasting years of our lives on that which does not matter and will not last (Matthew 7:24-27).

Reading and studying the Bible helps us see beyond the attractive “bait” to the painful “hook” in sinful temptations, so that we can learn from others’ mistakes rather than making them ourselves. Experience is a great teacher, but when it comes to learning from sin, it is a terribly hard teacher. It is so much better to learn from others’ mistakes. There are so many Bible characters to learn from, some of whom can serve as both positive and negative role models at different times in their lives. For example, David, in his defeat of Goliath, teaches us that God is greater than anything He asks us to face (1 Samuel 17), while his giving in to the temptation to commit adultery with Bathsheba reveals just how long-lasting and terrible the consequences of a moment’s sinful pleasure can be (2 Samuel 11).

The Bible is a book that is not merely for reading. It is a book for studying so that it can be applied. Otherwise, it is like swallowing food without chewing and then spitting it back out again—no nutritional value is gained by it. The Bible is God’s Word. As such, it is as binding as the laws of nature. We can ignore it, but we do so to our own detriment, just as we would if we ignored the law of gravity. It cannot be emphasized strongly enough just how important the Bible is to our lives. Studying the Bible can be compared to mining for gold. If we make little effort and merely “sift through the pebbles in a stream,” we will only find a little gold dust. But the more we make an effort to really dig into it, the more reward we will gain for our effort. source

9 Tangible Benefits of Bible Reading

The more often Christians engage the Bible at least four times a week, the more bold they will be in sharing and growing in their faith.

By Jeff Martin

The Center of Bible Engagement compiled extensive research findings by Arnold Cole, Ed.D. & Pamela Caudill Ovwigho, Ph.D. into a document titled “Understanding the Bible Engagement Challenge: Scientific Evidence for the Power of 4.”

In the study, they polled 40,000 people ages 8 to 80. They wanted to see how people were engaging in Scripture.  As they compiled the results, they made a profound discovery they were not even looking for when they originally planned the survey.

The study indicated that when people engaged in the Scripture one time a week, which could include a pastor instructing the congregation to “open your Bibles…”, there was negligible effect on some key areas of their life. The same result was true if people engaged in the Scriptures two times a week. The result equaled little to no effect.

Three times a week saw a small indication of life. There was a slight pulse, a faint heartbeat. Something moved in the behavior of the person engaging in Scripture.

The eye opener happened when Bible engagement reached at least four times a week.

A steady climb of impact would have been expected, but that was not the case. The level was basically stagnant over days one and two, with a small bump on day three. But when day four was reached, the effects spiked in an astounding way. The stunning findings included the following:

1. Feeling lonely drops 30%
2. Anger issues drop 32%
3. Bitterness in relationships drops 40%
4. Alcoholism drops 57%
5. Sex outside of marriage drops 68%
6. Feeling spiritually stagnant drops 60%
7. Viewing pornography drops 61%
8. Sharing your faith jumps 200%
9. Discipling others jumps 230%

The research literally leaps off the charts. The findings hammer home the truth that there are profound differences between people who engage the Scripture at least four times a week and those who engage with the Scripture less often. This data is extremely revealing. There is a full-blown effort to keep the followers of Christ from consistently reading the Bible on a daily basis.

Integral to these findings is that people who engage the Bible one to three days a week indicate basically the same effect on their personal lives as those who do not engage at all. The deceptive reality is that they can feel good about their activities without any sustainable results. They think they’re being “good Christians,” but their lives are no different than people who aren’t Christians at all.

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Study: Trauma-Informed Bible Reading Reduces Depression, Anxiety, Anger

Research in Virginia jail could help churches deal with emotional impact of the pandemic.

One day soon the pandemic may be past, and COVID-19, a memory. But the trauma—from the isolation, seeing people die, facing financial stress, and living with loss and the anxiety of the unknown—will continue for a long time to come.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the percentage of American adults with recent symptoms of anxiety and depressive disorders increased more than 5 points between the summer of 2020 and the spring of 2021. One out of every 10 people reports having an unmet mental health care need.

“We’re going to see this level of trauma for many years,” said Nicole Martin, executive director of trauma healing at the American Bible Society (ABS). “It’s not just going to go away when everyone is vaccinated and everyone is allowed inside.”

Martin and the American Bible Society want to meet that need with trauma-informed Bible reading, teaching people about healing from trauma using Scripture.

A recent ABS-commissioned study by Baylor University researchers found that combining education about mental health best practices with Bible reading can have a significant benefit. In their study, this reduced the symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder and increased forgiveness, compassion, and sense of purpose. source

How Does Reading the Bible Affect Your Brain

How Reading the Bible Affects the Brain 

Reading the Bible has a strong emotional and spiritual impact on its readers for a lot of reasons. And reading the Bible imparts a strong influence on your faith and religious beliefs. But what impact does the Bible have on your brain?

In this article, we’ll be going in-depth into how exactly the Bible can affect your brain. As well as your thought patterns and beliefs. If you’re interested in learning about this topic, keep on reading.

What’s Happening Inside Your Brain When Reading the Bible?

When you’re reading your Bible, you may have a strong emotional reaction to scripture along with the stories. My heart pounds when Pharaoh is chasing the Israelites from the rear and the red sea is in front of them. Or when Esther states “I was born for such a time as this.” Even the dynamic between siblings, Rachel and Leah rivalry over Jacob. And their feud carries on to the next generation, after all it’s his step brothers who sell Joseph into slavery.

According to a study, your brain is reacting and responding in numerous ways when you read the Bible.

Dr. Michael Feguson performed a study, Where the researchers scanned and studied the brains of religious individuals. While they were practicing spiritual activities, such as prayer and reading scripture.

In this study, it was found that there were three regions of the brain that were the most active during these times. Areas such as the frontal attention lobe, the medial prefrontal cortex, and the nucleus accumbens all experience significant increases of activity and responsiveness during religious activities.

It was found that high amounts of

How Reading the Bible Affects Your Behavior 

Changes in our behavior begin with changes occurring in our brains. Here are a few of the ways reading the Bible can affect our behaviors:

 -It Encourages Goal-Oriented Behaviors

As we stated above, reading the Bible affects neural pathways within your brain. One of these neural pathways, in particular, is called the mesolimbic dopaminergic system, or ML-DA.

This system is also known as the brain reward pathway, and the activation of this pathway comes with a lot of benefits. Functional theories have credited the ML-DA with enforcing goal-oriented behaviors.

When this system is activated by reading the Bible, it can have multiple effects on the way you behave in your day to day life. For one, reading the Bible can encourage and inspire behaviors such as praying.

This is due to the fact that when the mesolimbic dopaminergic system begins working. It causes our brains and bodies to experience a strong emotional response, which in turn will affect our behavior. The more positive emotions you feel while reading the Bible. The stronger the effects are that occur within your brain.

-It Encourages Partaking in Community Activities

Not only can the Bible encourage you to begin spiritual practices such as praying. But it also motivates you to find a community of like-minded people to surround yourself with.

When you read and discuss the Bible in a large group setting, the emotional reaction is magnified. Since what you and others may experience is bound to be far stronger in a group as opposed to reading the Bible alone.

The Bible can have a strong effect on our brains. Which in turn can change our behaviors. Behaviors such as involving yourself in spiritual practices such as praying and being involved in a religious community stem from the emotional reaction you get from reading the Bible.

How Reading the Bible Affects Your Thoughts 

As we discussed earlier, when you read the Bible, emotional reactions occur within your brain that can have many effects.

But these chemical reactions that your brain experiences can also affect your thoughts. The more you focus on a particular belief or idea, the stronger your belief in that system will be. When you really begin focusing on these ideals, they become a part of your thoughts.

Your thoughts can differ depending on how you perceive the Bible or God. For instance, if you read the Bible and focus on God as a loving entity, you increase the amount of love and compassion in your body. That’s pretty amazing!

However, if you subscribe to the depiction of God in the Bible as vengeful, you may increase more negative emotions within your brain. Which will, in turn, affect your thoughts and actions. The more you draw your attention to certain ideas, the stronger your belief in these ideas become.

The Bible itself also speaks many times about the power of thought. So it’s clear to see how important it is to be mindful of what you’re constantly consuming and how you’re interpreting it.  As shown, your thoughts are very powerful.

In the video below, you can learn more about another study. That was done in terms of the connection between spirituality, brain chemistry, and how your thoughts are affected.

Your Brain on God: How faith Affect Your Brain Chemistry on YouTube is interesting.

Other Benefits from Reading the Bible

Not only does reading scripture have numerous benefits, but reading, in general, holds a lot of power and has many positive effects on the mind. Below we’ll explore some more ways reading the Bible can positively impact you.

For one, reading the Bible can heighten brain connectivity. When you read, you are using several brain functions at a time, including visual, auditory, comprehension, and more.

You are using multiple parts of your brain to decode the words on the page, and when you pair those functions with the other parts of your brain that are releasing chemicals like dopamine, you are sure to have a strong and emotional reaction to what you’re consuming.

It’s also proven that you can improve your concentration if you dedicate just as little as 30 minutes a day to reading your Bible.

If you already struggle with concentration, this is a great practice tool for you. Setting aside a time of day for yourself to read the Bible is great for creating healthy patterns and schedules for yourself. Patterns are built over time, and they all begin inside your brain.

Your brain is responsible for noticing patterns and helping you create structure. Not only will these patterns enable you to set time aside to read your Bible, but this time will also help with your concentration.

The Bible can have a strong and lasting impact on a lot of different factors within your life, including your brain. It’s fascinating to see just how much goes on internally when you’re reading scripture.

Conclusion 

We explored how the Bible can affect different areas of your brain, as well as your thoughts and actions. When reading scripture, chemicals are released within the brain that are caused by a strong emotional reaction on your end. 

We also discussed while our brains are experiencing change, our thoughts and actions will change as well. Depending on how we receive and decode messages within the Bible we can think and feel either positive or negative emotions.

Lastly, we discussed other ways reading your Bible can positively affect your brain and the ways you form patterns. So next time you open up your Bible, remember there’s a lot happening inside your brain. Which all contribute to keeping you and your faith strong.

 were released through the body, while reading the Bible. When dopamine is released, you are likely to be more focused, motivated, and happy.

It’s clear to see there are numerous chemical reactions and systems at play here. Many of which can positively affect your brain and make a lasting impact on your thoughts and behaviors.

Reading the Bible can affect neural pathways in the brain. These pathways  are in charge of cognitive thinking and behavior. As you read, dopamine releases and affects the thoughts you have while reading the Bible. These factors contribute to changing your ideals and key beliefs. 

Reading the Bible can do a lot more than just affect the brain, though. Once certain parts of the brain are activated, emotional responses begin to show not only inward, but outward in the form of behavioral changes as well.

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9 Tangible Benefits of Bible Reading for Your Church

The more often Christians engage the Bible at least four times a week, the more bold they will be in sharing and growing in their faith.

By Jeff Martin

The Center of Bible Engagement compiled extensive research findings by Arnold Cole, Ed.D. & Pamela Caudill Ovwigho, Ph.D. into a document titled “Understanding the Bible Engagement Challenge: Scientific Evidence for the Power of 4.”

In the study, they polled 40,000 people ages 8 to 80. They wanted to see how people were engaging in Scripture.  As they compiled the results, they made a profound discovery they were not even looking for when they originally planned the survey.

The study indicated that when people engaged in the Scripture one time a week, which could include a pastor instructing the congregation to “open your Bibles…”, there was negligible effect on some key areas of their life. The same result was true if people engaged in the Scriptures two times a week. The result equaled little to no effect.

Three times a week saw a small indication of life. There was a slight pulse, a faint heartbeat. Something moved in the behavior of the person engaging in Scripture.

The eye opener happened when Bible engagement reached at least four times a week.

A steady climb of impact would have been expected, but that was not the case. The level was basically stagnant over days one and two, with a small bump on day three. But when day four was reached, the effects spiked in an astounding way. The stunning findings included the following:

1. Feeling lonely drops 30%
2. Anger issues drop 32%
3. Bitterness in relationships drops 40%
4. Alcoholism drops 57%
5. Sex outside of marriage drops 68%
6. Feeling spiritually stagnant drops 60%
7. Viewing pornography drops 61%
8. Sharing your faith jumps 200%
9. Discipling others jumps 230%

The research literally leaps off the charts. The findings hammer home the truth that there are profound differences between people who engage the Scripture at least four times a week and those who engage with the Scripture less often. This data is extremely revealing. There is a full-blown effort to keep the followers of Christ from consistently reading the Bible on a daily basis.

Integral to these findings is that people who engage the Bible one to three days a week indicate basically the same effect on their personal lives as those who do not engage at all. The deceptive reality is that they can feel good about their activities without any sustainable results. They think they’re being “good Christians,” but their lives are no different than people who aren’t Christians at all.

See also  Does Online Church Attendance ‘Count’?

This can be devastating to a movement. Limited activity is elevated to the same effect as consistent activity, when it is actually the same as no activity.

The reality is that with a lack of consistent Bible engagement defined as at least four times a week, Christians have less confidence in sharing their faith with others and are more vulnerable to falling prey to false teachings, as well as a lethargy and apathy in consistently living out their faith in their circle of influence. The studies show that the best spiritually based predictor among 13- to 17-year-old teenagers was their engagement in Scripture.

The other side of the coin is equally conclusive and encouraging. The more Christians read or listen to the Scriptures at least four times a week, the more bold they will be in sharing their faith and growing in their faith. Their lives will begin to have a profound impact on those immediately around them. There will also be fewer times of stagnation in their spiritual growth. They will become viral in their faith.

This mounting evidence of the impact of Scripture on not only the individuals in a society but on the actual underpinnings of an entire society can lead to the findings being discouraging when you find out that most people are not communicating to their center of gravity and are cut off, making them vulnerable to invasion. But the power of simplicity goes both ways. When a critical node is identified and reengaged, the entire system can be reinvigorated with astonishing and rapid effect.  source

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More Benefits of Reading the Bible Daily

The Bible is our Heavenly Manna. It is the Bread of Life. However, most of us often hurry to get through the hustle and bustle of life without even eating our morning meal– the Word of God.

Moreover, we continue throughout the day without even compensating for it at noontime or nighttime.

I learned throughout my Christian life that you never waste the time you spend with God. Reading the Word, just like any other activity, has its advantages.

To enlist some, here are ten benefits of daily Bible reading:

1. It quickens the mind.

• The Bible as an educational material.

Psalms 119:130 says, “The unfolding of Your words gives light; It gives understanding to the simple.”

The Bible, like any book, is a type of educational material. We learn from it not only Bible trivia but also principles which are useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness (2 Timothy 3:16).

When we open and read through the pages of God’s Words, we connect ourselves to the ultimate source of knowledge and wisdom.

2. It makes one awesomely abundant!

• The best investment in life.

Reading the Bible is the best investment in life. According to Psalms 1:2-3, “Blessed is the man whose delight is in the law of the LORD, and who meditates on his law day and night. That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, and whatever they do prospers.”

• Does God compensate people for reading the Bible?

This verse is similar to God’s charge to Joshua upon his succession of Moses’ leadership. The Lord says that if he keeps everything written in the law, he will succeed and prosper.

Well, of course, the act of reading the Bible is not what makes man prosperous. We are not compensated for reading the Bible. Instead, what makes him prosper is his obedience to what “thus saith Lord.”

3. It serves as our guide.

• It’s undoubtedly not blind leading the blind.

The Bible is the lamp unto our feet and the light unto our path (Psalms 119:105). It means that it serves as our guide throughout life. And although it doesn’t explicitly tell us what to choose, it gives us principles to follow to help us in our decision-making, whether big or small.

Imagine the Bible as God’s voice stirring you where to go. He who sees the beginning and the end will never fail you.

He will allow you to see great signs and wonders. He will make you get through the fiery furnace of your life. He will even part the Red Sea, or calm the storm for His children, as you journey home to the heavenly abode.

3. It changes you.

• It has the power to stir the hearts to action.

Hebrews 4: 12 says, For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword. It penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow. It judges the thoughts and the attitudes of the heart.

One of the hallmarks of good literature is its ability to stir its viewers’ hearts to action. The Bible is a powerful book that changed the lives of billions of people from generation to generation.

• By beholding we become changed.

The Bible says, “By beholding, we become changed” (2 Corinthians 3:18). Thus, by constant meditation on God’s love letter, we become reflectors of God’s love and image, which is a powerful witness to the people around us.

4. It equips you for good work.

• A missionaries manual

The Bible equips us for righteousness as written in 2 Timothy 3: 16. In the preceding verse, however, we are charged to present ourselves to God as one approved, a worker does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth

The bare study of the Scriptures is enough to make a man equip for service. It is the missionary’s manual. He who receives a Biblical education gets the highest training the world could afford.

And although the study of sciences, literature, and other fields is beneficial, the Bible is still the best material to prepare man to work for God’s vineyard. Just think about Peter, James, and John?

5. It strengthens the faith.

• Our only safeguard for faith.

Romans 10:17 says, “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (KJV).

The Bible, along with prayer and ministry, is our only safeguard for faith. If the Christian is not rooted in good soil, he will wither. Daily Bible study allows us to grow healthy and fruitful.

Without daily Bible study, our visions of eternity will grow dim. Remember that we are all afflicted by sin, and without constant meditation of the Words of God, our strength will diminish, and our hopes will die.

6. It protects you from temptation.

• A Biblical life is a life of  active Bible study.

Psalm 119:11 says, “Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee” (KJV).

The Bible, according to Ephesians, is the sword of the spirit. When Jesus was on earth, He was able to defeat Satan’s temptations because of God’s Word.

• Jesus is our example.

Remember his famous line, “Man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4)? Jesus was our example in all things. His life is our standard. And if we want to live a Biblical life, daily Bible study must be our guard.

7. It gives us joy.

• The answer to our live’s whys.

“When your words came, I ate them; they were my joy and my heart’s delight, for I bear your name, LORD God Almighty” (Jeremiah 15:16).

The Bible does give us joy. It has the answers to all our lives’ whys; it encourages us when we are down; and it satisfies our souls with the abundance of love, joy, and peace.

I believe that there is a God-size hole in every human heart that He is longing to fill. No material wealth or possession can fill a place that only Jesus can.

8. It sanctifies us.

• The divine filter– God’s words.

In John 17:17, it says, “Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.”

Having faith won’t change the fact that our conditions are still imperfect. The Bible allows us to have a change of heart. It refines us to be more and more like Jesus.

When we read the Scriptures, we become aware of God’s holy precepts, laws, and standards. It leads us to repentance and a desire to live a righteous life. When we humbly receive the reprimands of Scriptures, we allow the spirit’s sanctifying power to affect us.

9. It reminds us of God’s wondrous deeds.

• It reminds us of past victories and gives security for the future.

“Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up” (Deuteronomy 11: 8, 9).

The history of people in the past gives us the strength to carry forward to the unknown future. It is pleasant and fulfilling to know that this same earth was once the perfect world God created.

It is the world that experienced the great flood, ten plagues, and the parting of the sea. Do you know what the common theme is in these events? Deliverance. Daily Bible reading allows us not to forget how God delivered his children in the past and how He can deliver His children at present and in the future.

10. It leads us to salvation.

• The Way, the Truth, and the Life which became flesh…

Lastly, in James 1:21, it says, “Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.”

The Lord wants to have a personal encounter with us through the Scriptures so He can save us.

Jesus said He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. He is the Word of God that became flesh. And it is only through Him that we can have salvation.

Indeed, if we study the Bible and feast on God’s words daily, we may take advantage of all these ten things and a lot more!

Reading the Bible is a spiritual commitment that yields spiritual and mental, social, emotional, financial, and physical results. The question is, why ask for snacks when God can give you a full meal? Munch and now the Word of God and be full!

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More Benifits of How Reading the Bible, will change your life!

One of the best ways, in committing to your faith and learning the gospel is reading the Bible, consistently. But many people may not be aware of all the benefits of reading scripture. Therefore, this article provides eleven benefits of reading the bible and how bible reading will positively benefit your life.

Benefits of Reading Your Bible Daily

 The following is a brief list of benefits of reading the Bible: gaining wisdom, increase feelings of joy and hope, and encouragement by being reminded of God’s promises. Additional benefits include discovering the multitude of emotional, physical, and spiritual benefits that will make you and your faith stronger. All these factors can contribute to long term happiness and health.  Continue to read, if you would like to discover even more benefits to reading your bible. 

Honestly, I didn’t read a Bible until I was forty. Since reading my Bible on a consistent basis, I’ve transformed in so numerous ways. For instance, I went from a constant complainer to have a grateful heart. Another example, I didn’t feel the need to get the last word in which contributes to maintaining peace in my home. Therefore, the next section will detail the importance of reading your Bible daily to receive wisdom.

1 Reading the Bible Daily Increases Wisdom

An additional benefit of reading your Bible is gaining a wide range of wisdom. From financial wisdom to relationships and everything in between.

Not only do you gain knowledge of the historical content of the Bible, but you will gain wisdom for salvation through faith in Jesus Christ. Many Christians refer to the Bible as the “essential wisdom” as it is the simple message of the gospel in God’s word. Father God loved the world that He sent His only Son to die for our sins. And through Jesus Christ, we are reconciled to Father God. That’s the Gospel in the most simplest form.

Jesus is also referred to as “wisdom” in the Bible, as stated in of Colossians 2:3 “is Christ himself. In him lie hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.”

Wisdom Scriptures

According to Proverbs 2.6,  The Lord gives wisdom; From His mouth come knowledge” An additional benefit or reading God’s biblical wisdom is it help you navigate through life, by steering you on the right path while being obedient to the Lord.

Components of Wisdom

Wisdom is known to have three main components, those being knowledge, understanding, and application. The first step towards gaining wisdom is arming yourself with knowledge and actively seeking out that information.

Knowledge of the Lord increases while Reading your Bible

Proverbs 1:7 states, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.”

In the passage above, fear also means revering the Lord. Those who fear and honor God will seek the His advice through reading the Bible. “Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.”

Understanding

The next component of wisdom is understanding, in other words, grasping the biblical knowledge you have read. Understanding the Word of God is an important step to becoming wiser. Once you’ve filled the God’s word in mind and it sprouts like a seed in your heart, you will begin to see to fruition of the benefits of reading the bible.

You can ask God to give you understanding. God will always confirm His word to you, especially while reading the bible. I find when I ask God something, I stumble on it during my daily Bible reading. Sometimes, God will led me to the exact passage that I need to hear for that day.

“If any of your lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault.” James 1:5

You can dig deep in the word, through word studies, commentaries, and even find sermons on-line to further explain any topics. Mediate on specific verses throughout the day.

Additional wisdom will come as you read through the lives of biblical figures. Notice the key points and takeaway from their lives will encourage you.

Reading Proverbs daily will contribute to understanding wisdom. After all, there are thirty-one proverbs in the Bible, one of each day of the month.

Application

The last component to achieving wisdom is to begin applying what you have learned by implementing these ideas and practices into your life.

Gaining wisdom is definitely a benefit that automatically comes with reading the Bible. Not only are you gaining wisdom about God’s word, but you gain wisdom to apply to your everyday life. When you encounter struggles in your life, the Holy Spirit will bring into remembrance God’s word, the exact word that you need at the time.

2 Strengthening Your Faith

In addition to wisdom, the Bible is saturated with faith scriptures. Not to mention, all the faith-filled stories of God helping His people. Consistently reading your Bible will strengthen your faith in God and His word.

As you read through the Bible with a faith-filled heart, the words on the page and the biblical stories will bring your comfort, motivation, and direction. Studying the biblical stories we become emotionally invested. All these factors will explode your genuine faith.

Above all, God’s word provides a firm foundation. That is to say when you have Holy Spirit and other supernatural encounters you can line these experiences with God’s word which in turn will strengthen your faith.

As a result, your faith will naturally become stronger each day as you read the Bible. You can’t help spiritually mature by injecting consuming and implementing God’s word into all areas of your life.  As is stated in Romans 10:17, “ So faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes through the message of Jesus Christ.”

Reading your Bible opens your heart and mind to the Spirit and the Word of God. Coupled together, they will contribute to growing your faith every time you refer to the holy text. This is definitely another benefit to reading your Bible keeping you and your belief system indestructible against the storms of life.

3 Joyful Is Another Excellent Benefit or Reading the Bible

Similar to the other themes we have discussed, the Bible also emphasizes joy and pleasure. When you read your Bible and seek positive and joyful verses, you are bound to feel more joyful.

Also, every time you open up your Bible and begin reading, you are allowing yourself to become closer to God and his message. Which can’t help make you feel joyful. It is even said in the Bible that being joyful is not an option, but a command.

“Rejoice in the Lord always, Again I will say Rejoice!” 1 Thess 5:16

When you feel joyful, it shows in all aspects of your life, internally and externally. Not only will your mindset improve, but the way you treat others and yourself will change as well.

Reading your Bible will allow you to feel joy for a lot of reasons. Not only are you strengthening your relationship with your faith and with God, but your feelings of joy will improve many aspects of your life.

As the Bible said, joy should be experienced and prioritized. Reading your Bible will allow you to feel just that, which is a pretty big benefit for you at the end of the day.

4 It Gives You Hope By Reading the Bible

If you’ve ever felt lost, anxious, or confused, it’s likely you’ve turned to your Bible for some kind of guidance. The Bible helps us feel hopeful and positive when we are at our wit’s end. As you can find messages of inspiration and hope on every page.

But the hope you feel and receive when reading the Bible doesn’t solely come from inspirational verses. Hope stems from worshiping a God who will not desert you when you feel hopeless.

Reading the Bible consistently when you are feeling down is a great way to restore hope and joyful feelings back into your life. But if you’re looking for verses that speak of hope to look to in times of need. There are plenty of Bible verses that will give you the strength and motivation you’re looking for.

It’s harder on some days than others to feel hopeful. But the Bible aims to not only educate you on the Lord’s word but to guide you in times of need. This is definitely another benefit of reading your Bible and consuming the lessons inside, as it will drastically improve how you feel on a bad day.

5 It Reminds You of God’s Promises Is A Wonderful Benefit

Another benefit to reading the Bible is being reminded of all the promises God has made to you. Your faith continues to grow stronger when you count all the promises God has made to His followers.

It’s continually shown, within the stories of the Bible that God will follow through on the promises. God can not lie, and He will fulfill His promises to those that love Him. Seeing all the promises God has for you, while you read the Bible builds your faith. And allows you to connect with your faith and your Savior on a whole new level.

Similar to the ways we discussed how focusing your attention on verses that speak of joy help you when you feel lost and confused. Directing your attention to what God has promised can lift you up as well.

There are promises of God’s goodness and compassion everywhere within scripture. In Psalm 145:9, it says, “The Lord is good to all, he has compassion on all that he has made.” Reading scriptures like this, reminds you of the goodness of your Father. And additionally, it reminds you of the promises that have been made to you.

Reminding yourself of these promises benefits you and your faith in the long run. By continually, leaving you feeling stronger and the Lord is by your side and protecting you, 24/7.

6 You’ll Learn To Fall in Love with Jesus

When you read the Bible, you read stories about Jesus while on Earth. This will give you a whole new appreciation for your faith. Reading the words Jesus spoke, as well as the actions he took while he was here.

As a Christian, when you read the Bible, you don’t just learn about Jesus, but you get to know him personally by consuming the stories and lessons. This is a huge benefit for you, as your appreciation for your faith will grow when learning more about God’s son.

One of the best ways to truly learn about Jesus is returning to the actual, original source, meaning the Bible. Many Christians compared their evolving relationship with Jesus to beginning a relationship with a new friend.

In order to get to know a new friend, and learn to love and care for them, you have to spend a good amount of time with them. Spending time with Jesus through scripture is key to building a loving relationship with your faith, as well as Jesus.

7 You’ll Build Habit Is A Huge Benefit

Setting aside time each day to read your Bible is beneficial to you in a spiritual way. But what about in other ways?

Not only does reading the Bible draw you closer to your faith in God, but it allows you to build habits with yourself that become healthy lifestyle practices. When you begin to set habits with yourself, the more natural the action you wish to take becomes. It also becomes less of a chore after a while, and more of an enjoyable activity you look forward to.

Not only that, but when you invest time in reading your Bible every day, you’re not only investing in yourself, but you’re investing in your relationship with the Lord. Building habits is key to staying consistent within your religious practices, and it makes it easier to begin building other healthy habits as well.

8 You’ll Get to Know Yourself Better

Not only will you get to know God better through reading the Bible, but you’ll get to know yourself as well. Many Christians speak of finding themselves through scripture, and not only finding a loving and healthy relationship with Christ but with themselves as well.

Building a connection with someone relies on knowing who they are, as well as who you are as well. You can’t build a real relationship with anyone if you aren’t honest.

If you can show up to your relationship with God with honesty and love in your heart, you’ll strengthen that relationship, as well as the one you have with yourself.

For any relationship to work, both parties must approach it with honesty and love, as well as the knowledge of what they and the other person bring to the table. When you truly know yourself, you’ll get to know God.

Reading the Bible allows you to get to know yourself better through the different stories and lessons you might see yourself represented in through scripture. This is a huge benefit to you and your happiness in the long run.

9 It Gives You Instructions for Life Benefit

If you want to live your life fully, according to what God has in mind for you. Reading the Bible is the first step in learning about what you should be doing. The Bible is basically the original instruction manual and will assist you in how to be a good follower and believer as well as discover God’s nature.

Second, Timothy 3:17 says, “The scriptures are the compressive equipment of the man of God and fit him fully for all branches of his work.” It’s clear to see the Bible was specifically written to offer guidance and advice for you to follow.

As is stated above, the Bible is laced together to offer the followers of God a guide to turn to when they are in need. If you are currently facing a problem that has you feeling confused or scared, don’t be afraid to open up your Bible to see what God will communicate to you during this time of uncertainty.

Whether you are a new follower of the gospel, or you’re a Christian who doesn’t know where to turn, the Bible will give you the answers and instructions you need to live a happy and fulfilled life.

This is probably one of the biggest benefits reading the Bible has to offer, as you’ll always know where to turn when you’re in need of answers.

10 It Turns You Into a Role Model/Leader, Making you a benefit to others

Reading scripture can allow you to become a spiritual leader and role model within your family and your community. Using tools like the Bible allows you to spread these messages to your loved ones, as well as educate them on the contents of your scripture.

This is definitely beneficial to you if you wish to be the spiritual leader in your household, especially if you have kids. Educating yourself on the Bible and the messages within allow you to teach your children important lessons they can understand, and you can all discuss together.

You can also become a prominent figure within your community or your church. Knowing and understanding the wisdom that the Bible speaks allows you to reach out to others who may want to discuss these things with you.

Being a religious figure in your own household and community gives you and others so many opportunities to discuss spirituality, while also strengthening everyone’s faith in the process.

11 You’ll Become a Better Listener

When you fully understand and know the contents of the Bible, as well as your relationship with God, self, and spiritually, it’s easier to become a listener to others.

Good listening goes hand in hand with the teachings of Jesus. Active listening and empathizing with others is a large part of what Jesus was about. Implementing Jesus’s teachings into how you listen to others allows you to make real connections with others when you are actively listening.

When you fully understand the teachings of Jesus, you’ll be able to follow his methods by listening to others, as opposed to just hearing them. Also, it’s important to mention that when you listen to people’s questions and comments, you can respond correctly and fully understand where others are coming from.

This is highly beneficial to you and to others as well, as this causes you to make more genuine connections with others, as well as practice the teachings of Jesus correctly.

Conclusion

From spiritual to emotional factors, the Bible can allow you and your community to grow and evolve in different ways when you read scripture.

We discussed how the Bible aims to inspire you and make you feel joy in your time of need. It also allows you to make stronger and more genuine connections with God, as well as yourself.

Reading the Bible also gives you the opportunity to educate yourself on exactly what God has intended for you, as this scripture is seen as God’s instruction manual for you. You also have the chance to get closer to God and grow stronger in your faith when you read the Bible.

Prayer

Lord in Jesus name I pray God’s word will come alive in your life, you will see a breakthrough in all areas of your life. And that you will reap each and every one of these eleven benefits be magnified each time you read your Bible. May God Bless you! source

God lives in everyone, find him, knock, he is waiting!

YOU WILL BE JUDGED 

YOU WILL HAVE TO ANSWER TO THE LORD

HE WILL SEE THROUGH ALL YOUR LIES AND EXCUSES

THERE IS NOTHING HE DOES NOT KNOW OR SEE.

THAT IS GOD’S LAW AND YOU WILL BE PROSECUTED AND JUDGED AND CONVICTED BY THE REAL COURT OF THE LAND, GOD!

HELL IS HOT AND NO ONE GETS ANY QUENCH DOWN THERE

REPENT AND MAKE GOOD WHAT YOU HAVE CORRUPTED

Leviticus 26

Reward for Obedience

26 “‘Do not make idols or set up an image or a sacred stone for yourselves, and do not place a carved stone in your land to bow down before it. I am the Lord your God.

² “‘Observe my Sabbaths and have reverence for my sanctuary. I am the Lord.

³ “‘If you follow my decrees and are careful to obey my commands, ⁴ I will send you rain in its season, and the ground will yield its crops and the trees their fruit. ⁵ Your threshing will continue until grape harvest and the grape harvest will continue until planting, and you will eat all the food you want and live in safety in your land.

⁶ “‘I will grant peace in the land, and you will lie down and no one will make you afraid. I will remove wild beasts from the land, and the sword will not pass through your country. ⁷ You will pursue your enemies, and they will fall by the sword before you. ⁸ Five of you will chase a hundred, and a hundred of you will chase ten thousand, and your enemies will fall by the sword before you.

⁹ “‘I will look on you with favor and make you fruitful and increase your numbers, and I will keep my covenant with you. ¹⁰ You will still be eating last year’s harvest when you will have to move it out to make room for the new. ¹¹ I will put my dwelling place^[a] among you, and I will not abhor you. ¹² I will walk among you and be your God, and you will be my people. ¹³ I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt so that you would no longer be slaves to the Egyptians; I broke the bars of your yoke and enabled you to walk with heads held high.

Punishment for Disobedience

¹⁴ “‘But if you will not listen to me and carry out all these commands, ¹⁵ and if you reject my decrees and abhor my laws and fail to carry out all my commands and so violate my covenant, ¹⁶ then I will do this to you: I will bring on you sudden terror, wasting diseases and fever that will destroy your sight and sap your strength. You will plant seed in vain, because your enemies will eat it. ¹⁷ I will set my face against you so that you will be defeated by your enemies; those who hate you will rule over you, and you will flee even when no one is pursuing you.

¹⁸ “‘If after all this you will not listen to me, I will punish you for your sins seven times over. ¹⁹ I will break down your stubborn pride and make the sky above you like iron and the ground beneath you like bronze. ²⁰ Your strength will be spent in vain, because your soil will not yield its crops, nor will the trees of your land yield their fruit.

²¹ “‘If you remain hostile toward me and refuse to listen to me, I will multiply your afflictions seven times over, as your sins deserve. ²² I will send wild animals against you, and they will rob you of your children, destroy your cattle and make you so few in number that your roads will be deserted.

²³ “‘If in spite of these things you do not accept my correction but continue to be hostile toward me, ²⁴ I myself will be hostile toward you and will afflict you for your sins seven times over. ²⁵ And I will bring the sword on you to avenge the breaking of the covenant. When you withdraw into your cities, I will send a plague among you, and you will be given into enemy hands. ²⁶ When I cut off your supply of bread, ten women will be able to bake your bread in one oven, and they will dole out the bread by weight. You will eat, but you will not be satisfied.

²⁷ “‘If in spite of this you still do not listen to me but continue to be hostile toward me, ²⁸ then in my anger I will be hostile toward you, and I myself will punish you for your sins seven times over. ²⁹ You will eat the flesh of your sons and the flesh of your daughters. ³⁰ I will destroy your high places, cut down your incense altars and pile your dead bodies^[b] on the lifeless forms of your idols, and I will abhor you. ³¹ I will turn your cities into ruins and lay waste your sanctuaries, and I will take no delight in the pleasing aroma of your offerings. ³² I myself will lay waste the land, so that your enemies who live there will be appalled. ³³ I will scatter you among the nations and will draw out my sword and pursue you. Your land will be laid waste, and your cities will lie in ruins. ³⁴ Then the land will enjoy its sabbath years all the time that it lies desolate and you are in the country of your enemies; then the land will rest and enjoy its sabbaths. ³⁵ All the time that it lies desolate, the land will have the rest it did not have during the sabbaths you lived in it.

³⁶ “‘As for those of you who are left, I will make their hearts so fearful in the lands of their enemies that the sound of a windblown leaf will put them to flight. They will run as though fleeing from the sword, and they will fall, even though no one is pursuing them. ³⁷ They will stumble over one another as though fleeing from the sword, even though no one is pursuing them. So you will not be able to stand before your enemies. ³⁸ You will perish among the nations; the land of your enemies will devour you. ³⁹ Those of you who are left will waste away in the lands of their enemies because of their sins; also because of their ancestors’ sins they will waste away.

⁴⁰ “‘But if they will confess their sins and the sins of their ancestors—their unfaithfulness and their hostility toward me, ⁴¹ which made me hostile toward them so that I sent them into the land of their enemies—then when their uncircumcised hearts are humbled and they pay for their sin, ⁴² I will remember my covenant with Jacob and my covenant with Isaac and my covenant with Abraham, and I will remember the land. ⁴³ For the land will be deserted by them and will enjoy its sabbaths while it lies desolate without them. They will pay for their sins because they rejected my laws and abhorred my decrees. ⁴⁴ Yet in spite of this, when they are in the land of their enemies, I will not reject them or abhor them so as to destroy them completely, breaking my covenant with them. I am the Lord their God. ⁴⁵ But for their sake I will remember the covenant with their ancestors whom I brought out of Egypt in the sight of the nations to be their God. I am the Lord.’”

⁴⁶ These are the decrees, the laws and the regulations that the Lord established at Mount Sinai between himself and the Israelites through Moses.

How to Feel Good – Without Drugs or Alcohol

Good Works = Path Closer To God, Not Further!

Have you  ever seen another human not related to you, you know… a stranger suffering ? Have you ever tried taking time out of your busy day to be genuinely kind to this stranger? if so then God bless you… you are on a better path than most.  But for the most part most of us see angry people or disheveled people as useless annoyances. Pick someone one day study them, NOT LIKE A STALKER, from afar. Choose someone you feel truly could use a break. Try helping them, help from the kindness of your heart.  Watch how repeated actions of this nature will in turn bring you up, raise your spirits, your self esteem and allow you to see how BLESSED BY GOD YOUR TRULY ARE! Helping others make us as humans feel good, the Devil does not want you to feel good, he wants you not helpful, miserable, angry and festering in his lies he  perpetrates! He is a fraud! like most of us he lives a lie!

Over the years I have lost friends and family to drugs, a series of mistakes and poor choices. Over time I realized I can blame them for their dumb choices, or I can try to look at how it got that way.  Being kind and thoughtful of their situation.  I have 2 brothers, 1 dad, all raised the same! We did not all turn out the same. We all take input from our world differently. I grew up in church, very wet behind the ear, kind, thoughtful and truthful.  Overtime the world hardened me, sent me down horrible paths.  These paths allowed the devil into my life, once he takes hold he gets to work on making you less of you! Taking bits and pieces of your peace of mind and self esteem, removing courage from you and forcing defeat by sin into our lives.

Anyone who knows me knows I have been woke, NOT WOKE LEFTIST, but CHIRSTIAN WOKE.  The devil’s plan is to confuse and gray right from wrong away, causing us to sin without knowing. The Democrat Socialist Lefty’s aks demoncrats, promote WOKE as a phrase.  This steals from GODS word in 2 ways.  First it causes us Christians to hate the LEFT WOKE SYNDROME, therefor cringing when we hear GODS WORD WOKE, DIFFERENT MEANING ALL TOGETHER! Secondly, for those that EAT THE LEFTIST WOKE CRAP, they CANNOT SEE GOD’S WOKE for long as they believe in HATING WHITE MEN AND LOVING GAYS as an AGENDA!

WHITE MEN ARE NOT A PROBLEM, EVIL PEOPLE ARE THE PROBLEM, THEY COME IN ALL COLORS.

“Today is my son’s birthday, he is 11 he is a present from God, I must make sure his path is as clean as possible so he does not stumble!”

Study: Doing Good Makes You Feel Good

There’s a new incentive to doing good things for others: It makes you happier, according to a new study.

Michael Steger, a psychologist at the University of Louisville in Kentucky, has always been amazed by how differently people lead their lives. Pat Tillman, for example, left the NFL to enlist in the Army and fight in Iraq and later Afghanistan (where he was killed), Steger said, but celebrity and socialite Paris Hilton continually pursues “a public life of shallowness.”

Steger couldn’t help but wonder which behavior makes people happier—seeking pleasure or doing good?To find out, he and his colleagues asked a group of 65 undergraduates to complete an online survey each day for three weeks that assessed how times they participated in hedonic, or pleasure-seeking behaviors, versus meaningful activities, such as helping others, listening to friends’ problems and/or pursuing one’s life goals.

The surveys asked the subjects how much purpose they felt their lives had each day and whether they felt happy or sad. The subjects also completed two sets of questionnaires at the beginning and end of the study to assess how they felt about their lives more generally.

They found that the more people participated in meaningful activities, the happier they were and the more purposeful their lives felt. Pleasure-seeking behaviors, on the other hand, did not make people happier.

Realizing that some people may feel guilty about reporting pleasure-seeking behaviors, Steger and his colleagues then modified the survey questions slightly to make them seem less exceptionable, and asked a new group of students to perform the study again, this time over a four-week period. The psychologists got the same results.

“A lot of times we think that happiness comes about because you get things for yourself,” said Richard Ryan, a psychologist at the University of Rochester, who was not involved in the study. But “it turns out that in a paradoxical way, giving gets you more, and I think that’s an important message in a culture that’s pretty often getting messages to the opposite effect.”

In order to make sure that the relationship between happiness and doing good wasn’t the other way around—that happiness instead leads people to do good things—the researchers looked at which tended to come first. They found that the subjects became happier after they did something good, suggesting that happiness does, in fact, come about as a result of doing good things.

The results of the study, to be published in the Journal of Research in Personality, present an “enormously optimistic picture of people, that as a cynic, I was very happy to see,” Steger told LiveScience. cited

Have you ever felt a rush after doing a good deed? Ever noticed you were more relaxed after a day of volunteering? Did you ever feel motivated to do good after thinking about the last time you helped someone? If you answered ‘yes’ to any of these questions, there’s a good explanation for why – it’s called science.

International Good Deeds Day is almost upon us and it’s time to start rallying your friends, family, coworkers, and peers to join this global movement of doing good on April 10, 2016. If your fellow good doers are still in need of some convincing, here are seven scientific facts about the benefits of doing good to share with them.

WHY DOING GOOD MAKES YOU HAPPY: DO GOOD, FEEL GOOD PHENOMENON

Have you ever experienced the do good, feel good phenomenon? When you do habits you’re proud of, you feel happier. For example, when you help others, you feel a helper’s high – happy, proud, excited. And because you feel good, the cycle continues. Your happiness makes you want to do even more good.

But, when you are engaged in bad behavior, you feel kind of lousy. And then this bad mood simply makes you wind up doing even more negative behavior.

Guess what? A good way to snap out of this negative cycle is to do good for someone else – so you can tap into what researchers call:

“The Do Good, Feel Good Phenomenon.”

Researchers have discovered that the more people do acts of altruism, the higher they raise their self-esteem. And thereby the higher they also raise their happiness.

Researchers call this: helper’s high

(Scroll down for a poster I designed – which sums up this do good then feel happier philosophy!)

The “Do Good, Feel Good Phenomenon” works like this…

• When someone does something good for someone, they get a “happiness high” or what researchers call “helper’s high.”  (Note: I write about this more here. )
• This hit of feeling happier because you did something good makes altruistic people want to continue to do more positive, loving habits.
• By doing this good stuff, these people then continue to feel even better about themselves.
• By feeling better about themselves, this then makes these people want to continue to do even more acts of altruism.
• And onward the upward cycle goes!
  

  Unfortunately this cycle also works in the opposite direction.

  • The unhappy can become unhappier by indulging in negative behaviors.
  • When people do negative actions they then lower their self esteem.
  • When people lower their self esteem, they feel more unhappy.
  • As a result of this unhappiness, these people then want to do more negative behaviors.
  • When people do more negative habits, they further lower their self esteem, which then further makes them want to do negative behaviors – and soon they find themselves on a downward spiral.

  Down, down, down their bad mood, bad habit spiral keeps going.

  And down, down, down the results for their life goes.

  So, watch out for those downward spirals!

  Get yourself hooked on doing good and aimed in an upward spiral instead.

  Below is an inspirational quote poster I designed – which sums up this upward spiral philosophy.

  Think happier

  Grab the happiness tools in my bestselling book Think Happy!

  Boost your confidence, attitude, and mood with this powerful and thought provoking collection of short essays and happiness strategies.

  It’s the perfect gift for someone you want to cheer on or cheer up – including yourself!

FACT: Doing Good Makes You Feel Happy

Have you ever heard of the so-called “do-good-feel-good phenomenon?” If not, here’s how it works.

When you do something good, you feel happier. A 2019 study revealed that performing acts of kindness – even to strangers – boosts happiness and well-being. So, let’s say, you help an elderly cross the street. There’s a part of you that feels genuinely happy because you know that you did an act of kindness to someone.

You Will Have Less Stress & Live Longer

That sensation is known as ‘helper’s high’ and is produced when your brain releases endorphins, the feel-good chemicals of the brain. When you do something good for someone else, your brain’s pleasure centers light up, releasing endorphin and producing this high.

So when you feel incredible because of altruism, you are more likely to do a selfless act to get that “happiness high” again. The feeling is very similar to the “runner’s high” where the brain’s pleasure centers light up.

The high of helping others is comparable to the “runner’s high” where the brain’s pleasure centers light up.

It’s basically like a cycle. This hit of “feeling good” is what pushes you to continue making more positive habits. A study published in 2013 showed that helping others increases life-expectancy due to reduced stress.

It’s a positive spiral where the more you help others the less stressed you are, and the longer you live. And less stress means you feel good, and when you feel good, you do good.

The more you help others the less stressed you are, and the longer you live

10 Days of Doing Good is Proven to Increase Your Happiness

Happiness is 50 percent genetic, says University of Minnesota researcher David Lykken. What you do with the other half of the challenge depends largely on determination, psychologists agree.

Two studies show that doing good deeds makes us happy. So fill up your 50% with happiness.

In one of the studies in the Journal of Social Psychology researchers in Great Britain found that good deeds do in fact make people feel good—even when performed over as little as 10 days—and there may even be more benefits if you mix up your acts of kindness, as the novelty of doing good seems linked to happiness as well.

But kindness may have a longer, and even deeper effect on our happiness (according to the second study, published online in the Journal of Happiness Studies and conducted by researchers at Harvard Business School).
This study showed people in general felt happier when they were asked to remember a time they helped someone else or bought something for someone else—even happier than when they remembered buying something for themselves.

In other words, thinking about what you’ve given others – and not only what you’ve received – will motivate you to do good again and again.

Thinking back on how you have helped others in the past gives you a feeling of happiness even today.

Unfortunately, it works the other way around too.

Have you ever noticed that when you do something bad, you feel terrible? And when you feel awful, you are more likely to do something horrible to the people that surround you.

This is often when you get to a place that centers more around yourself or seeking pleasure.

This negativity, unfortunately, affects everyone. So, unhappy people will – intentionally or not – continue to do more negative behaviours.

So why continue to spread negativity to the world when you can spread positive vibes instead?

Having someone else to help or another greater purpose is proven better for your mental health.

Here are a few tips to get your started spreading happiness around you:

1. Take your mum and grandma out for lunch.
2. Send an email praising a friend of colleague who deserves recognition
   Researchers also found that individuals in their mid-30s who rated helping others in their work as important, reported they were happier with their life when surveyed 30 years later.
3. Donate food, clothing, or volunteer your time to help others
   BMC Public Health journal has concluded that volunteering is also good for mental health. The review found that – along with improved well-being and life satisfaction – volunteering is also linked to decreased depression.
4. Do something good for the environment (recycle, use eco, reuse).
5. Help an animal.

These are just a few of the acts of kindness you can do.

By Stine Smith

By Mark Gray 7:26pm PST, Nov 28, 2022

Psalms 6:7-9      NLT My vision is blurred by grief;
my eyes are worn out because of all my enemies.
Go away, all you who do evil, for the LORD has heard my weeping.
The LORD has heard my plea; the LORD will answer my prayer.

Candace Cameron Bure calls herself the Queen of Christmas, but her recent comments aren’t bringing joy to everyone. In a November 2022 interview with the Wall Street Journal, the “Full House” alum spoke about her decision to leave the Hallmark Channel for the Great American Family network — where she’s a chief creative officer as well as an actress — indicating the network has no plans to feature same-sex couples. “I think that Great American Family will keep traditional marriage at the core,” Candace told WSJ. The team at GAF, Candace said, are “Christians that love the Lord and wanted to promote faith programming and good family entertainment.” The comments didn’t sit well with everyone in Tinseltown, including one of her co-stars.

The Devil forces the weak to comply……….

Jodie Sweetin seemed to shade her “Full House” co-star as she backed JoJo Siwa. “You know I love you,” Jodie replied to JoJo’s criticism of Candace Cameron Bure on social media. Afterward, Candace unfollowed Jodie on Instagram.

As your read below the Ever-growing Acronym LGBTQIA+ Mental Illness Requires you to Agree with Their Satanic Rituals of Homosexuality and Gender Mutilation and Blurring of the Lines as clearly stated in the bible 

“Honestly, I can’t believe after everything that went down just a few months ago, that she would not only create a movie with intention of excluding LGBTQIA+, but then also talk about it in the press. This is rude and hurtful to a whole community of people,” tweeted JoJo Siwa, who previously called Candace Cameron Bure the “rudest” celebrity she’s ever met. JoJo added that Candace’s marriage comments are “genuinely embarrassing.”

The Weak Must Bow Down and Get On Their Knees Following Suit or They Will Be Ousted from Hollywood and $$$$$ to Eat too… Fear Not Says the Lord, Keep His Word Close, You Will Be Just Fine! He will give you everything you need to keep mind, body and spirit fed!

“Make DJ Gay Again,” Maren Morris said in an Instagram comment, referring to Candace Cameron Bure’s “Full House” character name.

“Bigot. I don’t remember Jesus liking hypocrites like Candy. But sure. Make your money, honey. You ride that prejudice wave all the way to the bank,” Hilarie Burton, a Hallmark Channel regular, tweeted to Candace Cameron Bure.

Bigot……..the word they love is the LEFTS TOOL devised by Satan as an Evil Plot to blur right from wrong. Meanwhile they separate themselves into THIS SHIT LGBTQIA+ plus WHITE, BLACK, MEXICAN, UKRAINIANS, IMMIGRANTS, ETC they GROUP PEOPLE which is BIGOTRY…. Speaking GODS WORD or CHOOSING NOT TO AGREE with ANTI-GOD BEHAVIOR is not BIGOTRY it’s TEACHING…. DONT RUN SINNERS, COME KNOCK …Jesus is here for ALL OF US!

“How’d I miss this twit?!” actor Jeffrey Dean Morgan — Hilarie Burton’s husband — chimed in below her reaction tweet. “Who the f*** is this person? Hey Hil? You’re awesome. We lucky to have ya. X.” The “Walking Dead” star later added, “‘Make your money honey.’ Lol… cooked kids dinner and was laughing whole time. Wife has words AND timing.”

“I love you @candacecbure for continuously choosing Christ before all. The media is an absolutely VILE space for negativity and I applaud you every time for how you handle yourself with the utmost grace. As they continuously twist the narrative to beat down on the Kingdom, you stand firm in faith and never let others dim your light for Him. No matter how out of context or warped the words may get, the enemy will not prevail. Society has gotten completely out of hand with believing every strategically worded headline broadcasted by the media…followed by cancel culture which is nothing but ugly. It is so incredibly sad to watch. I am lucky to get to view you from a lense closer than most, and see how you are truly the real deal. The Lord shines through you time and time again. The battle is HIS,” Candace Cameron Bure’s daughter, Natasha Bure, wrote on Instagram.

“Go off jojo!!!!!!! “Maddie Ziegler replied to JoJo’s criticism of Candace Cameron Bure.

Sick how they all bow down to the Evil Ways of LGBTQIA+ to GET $$$$ SHAME, by not stopping Evil, they let it prevail and God has a place for those who allow the twisting of minds against him, and the confusing of his young ones… To the point they self mutilate themselves.

The original article leaves out all the facts how the TRUTH that…. LGBTQIA+ is SPIRITUALLY & MENTALLY OFF

https://www.wonderwall.com/celebrity/celebrities-including-a-co-star-react-to-candance-cameron-bures-marriage-comments-670507.gallery?photoId=10001

What Does the Bible Say?

Psalms 6:7-9      NLT My vision is blurred by grief;
my eyes are worn out because of all my enemies.
Go away, all you who do evil, for the LORD has heard my weeping.
The LORD has heard my plea; the LORD will answer my prayer.

God will help you avoid temptation

– 1 Corinthians 10:13 No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.

Rights To MURDER CHILDREN DONT MATTER!

What Makes God Angry?

#MeditationMonday‬ – Out of the abundance of a man’s heart, his mouth speaks.

Welcome, dearly beloved. I pray the mercies of God over you throughout this week. I hope to encourage and build you up in the Lord. I pray you gain a deeper understanding of these verses. As you grow in knowledge and understanding, may you be empowered to share your convictions with others.

Some think everything makes God angry, others believe nothing makes Him angry ‘cause he’s just so full of love’, both camps of people are terribly wrong. There are a definite number of things that piss God off. They’re listed in Proverbs 6:16-19, our passage over the next few weeks.

There are six things the Lord hates, even seven things that are an abomination to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that are swift to run to evil, a false witness who pours out lies, and a person who spreads discord among family members.

— Proverbs 6:16-19 [NET]

This is sort of a strange passage to many of us who are wondering, ‘how can the Lord “hate”?’ Well, I’m not making this stuff up, scripture clearly lists a number of things God hates. We’ll deal with the mechanics of how God can be angry/hate but not sin in another post. The list is commonly referred to as ‘the seven deadly sins’, ‘the seven worse sins’, or ‘Seven’, which is the title of a movie made about the list.

Scripture mentions six things God hates and adds a seventh as a sort of appendix. There are two schools of thought about how the seventh fits. Some scholars say the seventh is simply an addition and all are equally hated by God. Others suggest the seventh is actually worse, placing it in a different category. Although the vast majority of translations don’t support this position, some lend themselves to it.

For example, Eugene Peterson’s Message Translation translates:

‘Here are six things God hates, and one more that he loathes with a passion’

Whether the seventh is more hated by God or not is not really the focus of this post. The fact remains that these are seven things He clearly hates. Hate is a strong word but it is exactly what scripture makes use of with regards to this list. The actions listed in this passage are a manifestation of satan’s influence over people. This is why they are things the Lord hates. God is a loving, caring heavenly father but that doesn’t mean He cannot hate. You can walk in love and still hate. God loves what is right and hates what is wrong. You have probably heard the politically correct statement “God loves the sinner but hates the sin”.  Sadly we often quote this not realising (or failing to mention) that you aren’t separated from your sins unless you repent of them.

The love God extends to a sinner only extends far enough to offer them an opportunity to repent.

Studying the list of the things God hates helps reveal the things He loves! As we begin to hate the things that He hates, our minds become more and more like God’s mind.

1. Haughty Eyes: A Proud Look.

The first thing listed is pride – a proud look. A proud look emanates from those whose hearts are filled with a high opinion of themselves. They look down at others with piercing eyes, and their words carry condescending tones.  Today, we say such people are “full of themselves” and that is an accurate description. Scholars suggest that it is listed as the first sin here because it was the first sin in heaven (by satan and the non-elect angels) and the first sin committed by man (Adam & Eve).

An arrogant person is a satan look-alike!

Proverbs 16:18 famously reminds us that “pride goes before destruction… ”  When pride comes, destruction soon follows. According to Psalm 101:5 God will not tolerate a haughty look. Psalm 119:21 and Proverbs 16:5 tell us that God rebukes the arrogant for they are cursed ones who wander from his commandments. They are disgusting and exceedingly offensive in the sight of the Lord and they will not go unpunished.

Arrogance can easily come from thinking that your superior talent, wisdom, intelligence, wealth, or charisma (whether real or imagined), makes you more worthy than another person. Some are arrogant simply because they were born with the “right” skin colour or are associated the “right” religious corporation.

Malachi 4:1 describes in detail what God has in store for the arrogant.

 For behold, the day is coming, burning like a furnace, and all the arrogant (proud, self-righteous, haughty), and every evildoer shall be stubble; and the day that is coming shall set them on fire, says the Lord of hosts, so that it will leave them neither root nor branch. [AMP]

The Opposite:

Rather than having a proud look, make every effort to remain humble. Those who capture God’s affection are those who have more humility.

Humility is controlled confidence!

This definition is very timely, especially in the ‘selfie‘ age we live in. Our confidence must always be controlled. There is a thin line between confidence and arrogance and even the best of us cross that line from time to time. It is best to receive nourishment, guidance and direction from The Word; that we might obtain the necessary correction needed to stay on the proper course (the narrow path).

Pride is the silent killer of the church because it often goes unnoticed by others.

Pride may go unnoticed by others, but it does not go unnoticed by God; He looks at the heart and discerns the true motives behind all we do. The quickest way to promotion in the kingdom of God is down (humility) and the quickest way to failure is up (pride).

Appreciate everything God enables you to do, but you don’t have to go around telling everyone about it.  If you are good at what you do, allow others to say so. For example, when Jesus was asked by the high priest on whether or not He was the Son of God, Jesus answered, “that is what you say” [Matthew 26]. We should learn to follow Jesus’ example.

God will openly exalt those who are consistently faithful. 

Be humble in the presence of God’s mighty power, and he will honour you when the time comes [1 Peter 5:6]

2. A Lying Tongue.

The second thing our passage lists is a lying tongue. John 8:42-44 tells us lying tongues come from the devil’s influence. The devil is a liar and the father of lies.

Lying is satan’s native tongue!

Most people don’t think their words are all that important but in Luke 6 Jesus said, “Your words show what is in your heart”.

You and your words are one entity.

If you constantly speak lies, it is an indication your heart is not filled with the truth i.e. God’s truth – Jesus Christ. We will be held accountable for every idle word we’ve spoken [Matthew 12:35-37]. Let that sink in. You will be justified or condemned by the words you speak.

The popular saying is ‘all liars end up in the lake of fire’. Those whose audio (words) don’t match their video (actions) are people of flawed character. Such people lack integrity.

Integrity = the state of being coherent, whole and undivided, having internal consistency or lack of corruption

We are spirits, we possess a soul, and live in a body.  If our spirits desire one thing, but our souls another, and yet our bodies are pulling us in a third direction, then we are not fully integrated.  

This internal struggle eventually leads to a conflict and violation of our integrity.  That’s why scripture says in James that if we can learn to control our tongue; we will literally learn to control our lives, because what comes out of our tongue is an outward representation of what is going on inside us. 

Believers who lie are those who are losing the inward battle.

The Holy Spirit says: speak the truth! but the soul urges us to operate lying tongues. This is a dangerous thing because lies don’t come from God. Bitter water and sweet water cannot come from the same well. [James 3:10-11]

The Opposite:

Rather than having a lying tongue; listen to you inner witness and follow the leadership of the Holy Spirit. Speak the truth in love, and you will be the person of integrity – fully integrated – that God desires for you to be.

On the last day, honesty will be an identifying sign amongst the special people whom God calls because speaking the truth is a rare virtue, it demonstrates that a person is not under the influence of satan.

But speaking the truth in love [in all things—both our speech and our lives expressing His truth], let us grow up in all things into Him [following His example] who is the Head—Christ.

Ephesians 4:15 [AMP]

We’ll examine the remaining items in today’s passage over the next couple of #MeditationMonday blogposts. Understanding these things is not reserved for the so-called ‘spiritually woke’. God has instilled a basic sense of fairness into every conscience. Interestingly, the seven abominations are listed in context of obeying the latter six of the 10 commandments pertaining to human relationships and they illustrate the exact opposite behaviour and thought patterns of the wicked (who are under satan’s influence), which is why it is important to identify and counter such behaviour in our personal lives.

Prayer: Dear Lord, thank you for loving me, even while I was under the influence of satan. I praise you for delivering me out of the kingdom of darkness into your marvellous light. I declare by faith, that sin does not rule over me. From now on, I love what God loves and hate what He hates. In Jesus name, I pray. Amen!
https://gossipforjesus.com/2016/06/27/what-makes-god-angry/

Grace & Peace!

Things that God absolutely hates – 7 abominations to the Lord

Proverbs 6:16-19, NIV There are six things the LORD hates, seven that are detestable to him: haughty

eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are quick to rush into evil, a false witness who pours out lies and a person who stirs up conflict in the community.

Romans 1:16-20, ESV For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.”  For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.

God is sad and angry when we are stubborn…

And if we don’t have faith, we can’t please God.

Mark 3:5,ESV He looked around at them in anger and, deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts, said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and his hand was completely restored.

Hebrews 11:6, KJV But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

God is mad when we don’t honor him, when we dishonor him

Romans 1:21, ESV For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened.

John 2:14-16, ESV In the temple he found those who were selling oxen and sheep and pigeons, and the money-changers sitting there. And making a whip of cords, he drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and oxen. And he poured out the coins of the money-changers and overturned their tables. And he told those who sold the pigeons, “Take these things away; do not make my Father’s house a house of trade.”

“Jesus Wept” ~ When we are sad, hurt, grieved

John 11:32-35, ESV Now when Mary came to where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet, saying to him, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in his spirit and greatly troubled. And he said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to him, “Lord, come and see.” Jesus wept.
Angry God is angry when we give his glory away to another

Romans 1:22-23, ESV Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.

Jeremiah 9:23-24, NKJV Thus says the LORD: Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, Let not the mighty man glory in his might, Nor let the rich man glory in his riches; But let him who glories glory in this, That he understands and knows Me, That I am the LORD, exercising lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth. For in these I delight,” says the LORD.

God is sad when we don’t repent of sin

Genesis 6:5-6, ESV The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And the Lord regretted that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him to his heart.

Ezekiel 18:23, NKJV Do I have any pleasure at all that the wicked should die? says the Lord GOD, and not that he should turn from his ways and live?

Ezekiel 18:31-32, NKJV Cast away from you all the transgressions which you have committed, and get yourselves a new heart and a new spirit. For why should you die, O house of Israel? For I have no pleasure in the death of one who dies, says the Lord GOD. Therefore turn and live!

In Summary –

Things that make God sad are things that show that we’re not living the way he desires for us to live. What makes God cry? Things that make God cry include our sin, our hurt, and our pain and grief.

It is always helpful to remember that God’s commandments for us are for our own benefit, God loves us so much and he always wants what is best for us. God wants us to glorify him in all we do… Dear Friends, we can trust him :)!

Jeremiah 29:11-13, NIV For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. Amen.
www.jollynotes.com

https://tribuneonlineng.com/7-things-that-make-god-angry-sad-mad-and-cry/

Psalms 6:7-9      NLT My vision is blurred by grief;
my eyes are worn out because of all my enemies.
Go away, all you who do evil, for the LORD has heard my weeping.
The LORD has heard my plea; the LORD will answer my prayer.

Hold Fast To Good; Abstain From Evil

This is gotten from this specific verse:

But test all things carefully [so you can recognize what is good]. Hold firmly to that which is good. Abstain from every form of evil [withdraw and keep away from it].

– I Thessalonians 5:21-22 [AMP]

Key Point: When we are satisfied that anything is right and true, and good, we must hold it fast, and not let it go, no matter what opposition or persecution we meet with – MHC.

Why should we “hold fast”?

We’re advised to hold fast to good in order to build up our faith. We must not always be seekers, going to and fro, blown about by every wind of doctrine, double-minded. Rather, we must be firm in our faith, knowing what we believe. We also hold fast to good to help us get through the bad times.

Jesus, because of the joy set before Him, was able to endure the cross! He focused on the glory ahead to get Him through His painful experience on the cross. And we must do the same! In life, there will be ups and downs, but we can get through these periods by discerning what is good and holding on to it.

How do we know what is good?

Paul specifically states that we hold fast to that which is “good.” In this verse, “good” is from the word kalos, denoting a thing that is sound and in order – tested, proven, and authentic. God’s word and the promises therein have been tried, tested and proven authentic – we must hold fast to them, for they are good. We must not let the troubles of life seize them from us.

Remember the Old Testament characters who received prophetic words, such as Abraham or Joseph, they had to “hold fast” to these promises before their fulfilment! Likewise, you must clutch steadfastly to prophetic utterances spoken over your life that you have tested to be legitimate and biblical. These promises often test us — just as the word of the Lord tried Joseph (see Psalm 105:19). Scripture says,

O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.  

– Psalm 34:8 

Some of us have had experiences that left a “bad taste” in our mouth and lead us to conclude that everything relating to God is not good at all. However, taking this approach is illogical. It’s like someone saying, “You know, I ate food once and got food poisoning, so I’ve made the decision that food is bad and I’ll never eat food again.” How silly! Instead, we apply longsuffering in our walk with God and our experiences with His people. The hasty generalisation that all things pertaining to God, or the Church is bad because of one or two experiences is no way to live as a Christian.

How do we Hold Fast?

Like our heavenly father, we hold fast by taking possession, affirming and sustaining it, by embracing it and refusing to let go – this is how God holds fast to His elect whom He considered good upon creation. We too must discern a good thing, not by the standard of our flesh, but the standard of God’s will and intentionally hold fast to it the same way God holds fast to us with His love. Declare it out loud, just as God did when He declared that creation was good. Scripture says: out of the abundance of a man’s heart, his mouth speaks. Therefore, the very things we speak reveal the substance we hold on to in our hearts.

A few other bible verses which demonstrate ways in which we can hold fast  to good include:

– I Corinthians 15: 1-2: By welcoming, accepting, standing on and faithfully remembering it.

– John 15.10: By consistently practising it. 

With this final verse below I want to encourage you to discern the good, speak it out loud, focus on it, make it the subject of your thoughts and actions:

Finally, believers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable and worthy of respect, whatever is right and confirmed by God’s word, whatever is pure and wholesome, whatever is lovely and brings peace, whatever is admirable and of good repute; if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think continually on these things [center your mind on them, and implant them in your heart].

– Philippians 4:8 [AMP]

STEP 3: ABSTAINING FROM EVIL

Abstain From Evil.

The battle of Christian living is mainly to get our emotions changed, not just our behaviour. Scripture says God loves a “cheerful” giver – it’s not just about giving, it’s also about the emotional state of the giver. This shows that God’s requirements for Holy living extend beyond behaviour to include our emotions!

So when Paul says, “Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good,” we must remember he is commanding our emotions, not just our behaviour. We may abstain from fornication, but if our emotions linger on it then we are not fulfilling the true calling of this verse!

But wait! What if your heart loves evil and hates good? (one example is the person who loves pornography/fornication and hates sexual purity) How can such a person obey this command? The answer is that they must be born again. We can’t make ourselves immediately hate or abstain from what we love, only God can. Only by being born again can God give us new hearts and help us win the battle against evil in our lives.

See John 3:3-7; Romans 8:7-8; 1 Corinthians 2:14-16, Ezekiel 36:26.

Now, for those of us who have committed our lives unto God, abstaining from evil can be practised on two levels:

A. In our relationship with others

An important part of abstaining from evil is watching how we respond to offences which arise in the course of dealing with people, especially those who are in our family of believers. How many times have we held on to evil words and things that people have spoken or done to us? Not only do we hold on to them, we meditate on them, bury them deep in our hearts and regurgitate them as soon as we get the first opportunity!

Someone offends you, you bury it someplace safe in your heart, pretend you have forgiven them, only for it to resurface as gossip or a means to chastise the next time the same person does something wrong.

Beloved, God holds fast to our good, not our evil deeds and we who are made in His image ought to demonstrate the same in good measure to others! 3 John 11:

Do not imitate evil but imitate good. Whoever does good is from God; whoever does evil has not seen God.

B. In our relationship with God

When scripture speaks of abstaining from evil, we often imagine not doing bad things to other people i.e. wickedness, which is “action-based” and is committed by one person against another.

However, it is better to think of the general notion of evil in terms of sin.

All form of sin is evil. 

Therefore, to abstain from evil is to abstain from sin and maintain intimacy with God. He alone is good, and we must hold fast to Him and throw whatever threatens our hold on Him in the gutter. In Matthew 18:9 Jesus makes a very chilling statement:

If your eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into the hell of fire.

This begs the question, how serious are you about avoiding sin?

Are you serious enough about holding fast to God that you would cut off anything that prevents you from doing so? Are you serious enough about abstaining from every form of evil that you would go to great lengths to tear it out and throw it away?

These are questions worth thinking deeply about. How committed are you to holding fast to God and abstaining from evil? Will your hold be affected by life’s circumstances, internal/external forces or the opinions of people? As you ponder on these questions, I leave you with one last charge:

Abstain from sin, and whatever looks like sin, leads to it, and borders upon it. He who is not shy of the appearances of sin, who shuns not the occasions of it, and who avoids not the temptations and approaches to it, will not long keep from doing sin.

– Matthew Henry’s Commentary

Contributor to the Religion News ∗ SELAH ∗ https://gossipforjesus.com/2018/12/04/no-more-blurred-lines-hold-fast-to-good-abstain-from-evil/

Blurred Lines

Contributor to the Religion News Matt Slick

Jesus drew lines in the moral landscape of Israel.  He opposed the religious hypocrisy of the Pharisees and Sadducees and set a proper distinction between what is holy and what is hypocrisy (Matt. 23).  For this, he was killed.  But, the powerful testimony he left before his death and after his resurrection is recorded in the Bible.  His words and life are a beacon of light to all who want truth and desire to know the difference between right and wrong.  With Jesus, there were absolutes.  With Jesus, there really is such a thing as truth and error, right and wrong, eternal life and eternal death.

However, in today’s world, relativism, which is the bedfellow of the secular, is becoming the temptress of the sacred.  In the world of the secular, people are taught to avoid passing judgment, whether it be in regard to other peoples’ beliefs, or lifestyle preferences, sexual orientation, moral judgments, faithfulness, and personal ethics.  The secularists want tolerance shown to their ungodly lifestyles.  So, they consider sin to be an anachronistic and meaningless concept.  The world does not want the Christian to shine a holy light on its sin.  Instead, the world wants to have its sin without condemnation, without guilt, and without consequence.  The world offers a philosophy of “It is right if it is right for you,” and “What is wrong for you is not necessarily wrong for anyone else.”  In the secular realm of relativism, there are no absolutes.  There are no paradoxes.  There are no truth statements except to say that all views are acceptable — except the biblical one.  In Judges 17:6 it says, “In those days there was no king in Israel; every man did what was right in his own eyes.” When there is no King, when there is no God, then truth becomes a disposable opinion.  The secularists of today, like the kingless people of ancient Israel who have no direction, want to do what is right in their own eyes.

It doesn’t take long for any serious Bible student to recognize the problems of relativism aren’t only in the secular realm.  It is in the Christian church as well.  We see so-called Christian denominations and churches that approve of homosexuality, or couples living together, or who preach from how-to books and not the Bible, who water down the gospel, and teach a weak doctrine of God, sin, Christ, and salvation.  Unfortunately, these kinds of churches are in bed with their secular mistresses and are being seduced into further and further spiritual adulteries.  Their eyes are not on God’s word but on relativism.  That is why the lines that Jesus drew so sharply in the Gospels which separate the sacred from the secular are becoming more and more blurred by the relativism of today as it seeps into the Christian church.

The blunt truth is, however, that there is an absolute right and wrong.  We find it in the Bible which says that homosexuality is a sin.  It is not an “alternate lifestyle.”  It is a rebellious act of people who oppose the God-ordained institution of marriage between a man and a woman (Gen. 2:18-25).  The Bible says that living together is a sin.  It is wrong since it is the participation of the sexual union outside of the covenant establishment of marriage.  The Bible teaches us about husbands and wives, not about “significant others.”  The Bible teaches us to NOT bow to social norms if they contradict God’s word.  Therefore, it is always wrong to lie, always wrong to commit adultery, always wrong to steal, always wrong to bear false witness, etc.  It is wrong because God says it is wrong because what is right is based upon God’s holy character.

Furthermore, doctrine is important and there can be no compromise on the truth of what God has revealed.  There is only one God in all existence who has always been God (Isaiah 43:10; 44:6,8; Psalm 90:2).  God is a trinity (three persons in the Godhead – Matt. 28:18-20; 2 Cor. 13:14).  Jesus is the Word made flesh (John 1:1,14).  Jesus is the ONLY way to salvation (John 14:6; Acts 4:12).  If you do not believe and trust in Christ alone for salvation, then you are damned to eternal hell (John 3:17-18; Matt. 25:46).  These are only some of the many truths of the Bible that are under attack from the world, from the cults and other false religions.  As unpopular as they may be, they are still true.

We Christians are to sharpen the lines between truth and error.  But, to do this we must first know what the truth is.  We must know what the Bible actually says about right and wrong, about doctrine, about God, about ourselves, about judgment, and about Jesus.  And then, we must be willing to say, “That is sin,” when we see sin.  We must be willing to stand up for righteousness, even if it costs us.  Far too many Christians compromise and let the world take their truth and gospel in exchange for comfort and safety.  The manifestation of this compromise is found in churches with social agendas instead of biblical mandates, who do not condemn sin but practice it and who seek ways to appease the world instead of God.

Let me say it again:  The world wants to blur the lines that separate the absolutes of morality and truth from its lies and compromise.  The world wants Christian morality and absolutes removed.  It wants moral and truth grey areas to overshadow biblical truth.  By contrast, however, the Christian church is supposed to sharpen those lines by preaching, teaching, and standing up for the absolute truths of God’s word.

But, should we be a people that stand united in truth with fists raised in stern defiance against the world’s relativism and moral compromise?  Well, yes and no.  Yes, in that we are always to stand up for what is right.  No, in that if standing up for what is right is not done in love, then our message of truth cannot be heard.  Truth without love is hypocrisy.  Love without truth is a lie.  Both truth and love must be presented in harmony.  The Christian church should be true and it should also be beautiful.  In other words, it should teach what is right and it should LIVE what is right.  1 Tim. 1:5 says, “But the goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.”

In your life, are you living both the truth and the love that Jesus presented to us?  Are you proclaiming truth at your job?  Are you teaching it at home?  Are you standing for truth in society?  Are you proclaiming truth in love?  Are you teaching truth by a loving example?  Are you living the truth?

Now, lest I risk teaching moralism and further the degradation of truth in the world, I must make it clear that both truth and love are based on the cross of Christ.  At the cross, we see the perfection of truth and love realized together on the hard lines of that bloodied tree.  It is true that Jesus died and rose again.  It is true that his love for us bought us our salvation.  It is true that the cross is the only hope for mankind.  It is true that people need to die to themselves.  It is true that love is sacrificial and that it can cost us our lives.  It is true that there is such a thing as sin and it is true that we can point out what is right and wrong in the world because Jesus lived what was right and wrong, died, and rose from the dead to prove that what he said was true.

The church that has lost its truth is a false church.  The church that has lost its love is a godless church.  The church that has lost Jesus is a church of the devil.  The more the lines are blurred between the sacred and the secular, the more we move towards apostasy.  May it never be!  We must firmly trace out the lines already drawn and lovingly point out that there is a right and a wrong.  We point this out by pointing to Jesus.  But pointing this out must be preceded by living the truth, not simply proclaiming it.

We need to make sure that the lines between the sacred and the secular do not become blurred.  We must make sure that they are sharp.  We must proclaim Christ and Him crucified and that He alone is the way, the truth, and the life.  Without Him, there is no truth.
https://carm.org/bible-devotions/blurred-lines/

What the Bible says about Blurring the Lines
(From Forerunner Commentary)

1 Corinthians 6:12

The apostle Paul tells us in Romans 14:23, “Whatever is not from faith is sin.” This indicates that there is more to Christian living than merely following rules. It is key for a Christian to understand the principles involved in God’s laws, not just the letter-of-the-law wording.

Those in the world argue that the law is done away altogether, and believing this, they find numerous gray areas. To support this belief they will use I Corinthians 6:12. However, just a few verses earlier, he seems to say something totally different! Notice verses 9-10:

Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God.

Paul does not intend for this list to encompass every sin possible, but he does cover a lot of ground. In addition, he begins verse 9 with “the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom,” which casts a wide net. So if fornicators, idolaters, adulterers, homosexuals, thieves, the covetous, and drunkards will not enter the Kingdom of God, how then can all things be lawful?

Verse 12, we find, is a poor translation. Paul is paraphrasing what some people were saying—and still say today. Notice that he repeats “all things are lawful for me, but . . .,” following each phrase with an objection. The Contemporary English Version renders verse 12 as, “Some of you say, ‘We can do anything we want to.’ But I tell you that not everything is good for us. So I refuse to let anything have power over me.” The New International Version is similar: “’I have the right to do anything,’ you say—but not everything is beneficial. ‘I have the right to do anything’—but I will not be mastered by anything.” Clearly, Paul is telling us what others have said and giving his response.

We are free-moral agents, in other words. We can make our own decisions. We can sin, if we wish to, but there are consequences. Paul says he refuses to let “anything have power over me.” He implies that he keeps a close watch on his thoughts and actions.

Notice verse 9, again from the Contemporary English Version:

Don’t you know that evil people won’t have a share in the blessings of God’s kingdom? Don’t fool yourselves! No one who is immoral or worships idols or is unfaithful in marriage or is a pervert or behaves like a homosexual . . . .

Are there gray areas here? Not to God, but our definition of “evil people” might be different. Certainly “immoral” is open to wide interpretation these days in the world. To “worship idols” can be looked at in different ways. Is “unfaithful in marriage” just an affair or is it more? Each of us knows exactly what these things mean to us, and that is as it should be. We do not need an exhaustive list, or we should not, of all the possibilities of each category. We should know the principle involved.

This is one reason we do not see many lawyers as members of the church. Lawyers are taught to see everything as a gray area. “It depends on what the meaning of the word ‘is’ is,” as the lawyer Bill Clinton famously said. It seems that, as we grow in the faith, gray areas disappear, and the line becomes clearer. Satan and his world, on the other hand, are busy blurring the lines, trying to make us feel guilty or prudish if we judge something to be sin and choose not to participate.

I have known ministers who thought they were the town sheriff and had to be in on all decisions in our lives. Others, though, taught the principles involved and left it to church members to make decisions for themselves. Once our teachers have taught us God’s way, the burden is on us, not them, to know right from wrong. We must know where the lines are.

Mike Ford (1955-2021) https://www.bibletools.org/index.cfm/fuseaction/Topical.show/RTD/cgg/ID/18414/Blurring-Lines.htm

Acts 17:10-11 King James Version (KJV)

And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Berea: who coming thither went into the synagogue of the Jews. These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.